How to Recover Faster from Low-Back Pain: Stay Active!

Low back pain patients who remain active are better off than those who are less active.

Researchers evaluated how patients recovered from low back pain in relation to their activity levels. Some patients were advised to “stay active” despite the pain while others were told to adjust their levels of activity based on their pain.Those who remained active ended up recovering more quickly and feeling less depressed. On the other hand, patients who adjusted their activity levels felt more depressed and were less mobile.

Researchers suggest that back pain patients remain active and continue their daily activities when possible. This will likely promote a positive outlook and increase your physical mobility to put you on the path towards recovery. Consult with a doctor in your area to learn more about how you can stay active even with back pain.

Olaya-Contreras, Patricia. Biopsychosocial analyses of acute and chronic pain, especially in the spine: The effect of distress on pain intensity and disability. Institute of Clinical Sciences at the Sahlgrenska Academy University of Gothenburg. 2011. 

Written by: Michael Melton on February 17, 2015.

Years ago the remedy for lower back pain was bed rest.  More recently, we have learned that inactivity not only lengthens the disability but also increases the likelihood that degenerative changes will occur.  This is why post-op orthopedic patients are out of bed and walking within hours of their procedures.  More esoteric is the fact that movement helps us forget about how bad we feel and makes us feel better emotionally.  Nothing worse than sitting around doing nothing, thinking about how bad we feel and depressed about missing work (income).  This is why I stress stretching, modest activity and maintaining as much of your Daily routine as your status allows.  Oh and of course Chiropractic care!!

Dr. David J. Marcon